Produktbeschreibungen

Kurzbeschreibung

Simplify is a celebration of living more by owning less. Written by Joshua Becker, who inspires hundreds of thousands of people on his personal blog, this is a book that calls for the end of living lives seeking and accumulating more and more possessions by highlighting the enjoyment of living with less.

Three years ago, his typical, suburban family of four made the decision to minimize their possessions, declutter their home, and simplify their lives. In so doing, they discovered countless real-life benefits of living with less. And now, to help others experience the same freedom, they offer the most important lessons they’ve learned through the process. Simplify is full of personal stories, practical tips, and powerful inspiration.

It is based on a rational approach to minimalism. It will forever change the way you look at physical possessions. And most importantly, its approach will free you from the burden of clutter and provide you with the extra motivation to realign your life around your heart’s greatest passions… however you choose to define them.

Praise for Simplify:
• “A must-read.” - Leo Babauta, Zen Habits, TIME Magazine Blog of the Year
• “If you’re looking for specific advice on how to live well with less, this book is worth a look.” - Naomi Seldin, The Times Union, Albany, NY
• “It is a simple, straightforward guide to simplifying your life and brings new light to the term minimalist.” - Tanna Clark, Professional Organizer

I am a 57 yr old grandmother who lived a minimalist lifestyle during the difficult years as a young, single mother. Having remarried in 1989 to the best man I have ever known, my life seemed to improve in leaps and bounds by having more financial stability, and the opportunity to finish my education allowing better career opportunities. We live in a small house that we remodeled to suit our needs when my boys were grown & I was able to retire last year.I have often said that the best memories of my life were when my kids were small and I was poor. We would drive to the beach, with our basket of peanut butter & jelly sandwiches, koolaid & cut fruits, spend the day on a remote spot where there were no tourist attractions, just us and the beach. I made a lean to from an old tarp to create shade where my youngest would nap for hours. At the end of the day, we visited I a public bath house, showered off the sand & I dressed them in PJ' s for the hour drive home.In the years since, I have bought all of the things, or been gifted everything I used to think I wanted, needed or thought I was supposed to have. But the strangest transformation began almost immediately after acquiring all the "stuff" I began to stay constantly stressed over where to put things, surprised that I really didn't love most of it and guilty to have been blessed yet ungrateful. I couldn't understand why, what was wrong with me? Well, your book, along with a few others, smacked me in the head with the understanding: I was perfectly NORMAL! THE CONSUMER IN ME WAS THE CRAZY ONE! Some books go to the extreme, but your book helped me define my own level of minimalism. I have completely decorated my sister's home with my rejects, I have made gifts of beautiful jewelry I never wear to friends and family and I no longer have ANY clothes I don't love or drawers overstuffed with stuff. I plan to finish after the overindulgence of the holidays have passed, and bring exercise, meditation and real joy back into my life. Thanks for the nudge I the right direction!...

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5.0 von 5 SternenBreath of Fresh Oxygen27. November 2011

Von Amazon Customer - Veröffentlicht auf Amazon.com

Format:Kindle Edition|Verifizierter Kauf

I had not read a single post from his blog before purchasing this book. I was in for a pleasant surprise.

This book is extremely concise (less than a 100 pages), which I value in any blog post, article, or book on simplicity. Quality over quantity.

Which brings me to the next point, this book is on PRINCIPLES (as indicated by the title of the book), meaning it will teach you how to fish instead of just handing out fish. If you want someone to hold your hand, buy the Simple Living Guide (500 pages!) and she will direct step by step, dump your drawers out, separate into three piles kind of stuff. There are many blogs on declutting, and Miss Minimalist and Zen Habits will walk you through. There is no point in Joshua reiterating what countless others have covered in regards to clutter. He is simply here to introduce to you the simple life, offering principles that you'll want to keep for a lifetime. The benefits are immense.

BOOK UNFOLDING:

Book starts out with his story. I like the approach, makes you feel welcome. His stories are insightful and entertaining throughout the book. First story goes: some neighbor tells him about her minimalist daughter while he's spending time in the garage cleaning, yet another weekend gone.

He boils things down to the top reasons why you should simplify your life. He points you to his blog if you need more reasons. I was delighted to see the bullet point about simplifying so your kids don't have to rummage through all your stuff one day! Other minimalists don't touch on this important subject. All the junk piling up in my mother's house --- I wonder how I will counter that monumental task if my dad passes or if some tragic accident happens to both of them. It's not a delightful topic to think about, but it makes it easier on everyone if you prepare and figure out what really matters in life before you pass, not just for your sake, but for the environment and for your children.

Josh takes you through the pros and cons of capitalism. You hear both sides. There are pros and cons to everything. Going green has cons like less-than-baby soft toilet paper or having to lug your empty water can around instead of drinking out of throw-aways. When people write books about their ideas, they often leave the cons out. I like his balanced approach.

He then takes you into budget making (critical for a life of simplicity). His plan is the simplest I've come across. He mentions (wisely) that you can't just put $400 for food, because it varies from month to month. He implements savings and charity donations into his budget, so the rest left is free to spend. He's on the money!

The book covers these topics: Find clutter magnet spots in your house. Opt out of junk mail. Turn hangers around when using a garment to get a clue as to what you actually use every month (brilliant idea!). How to deal with simplicity with kids. How to manage enjoyable gift exchanges (clever points here). Buy quality. Don't get addicted to anything. Give. Don't take short cuts. Love things without owning them, love nature. Speak with integrity. Manage time and your computer desktop. Benefits of less TV. (Basically, he reveals the right direction with innovative ideas to try immediately.)

He finishes the book off inviting you on this wonderful journey of less encumbrance with superfluous things...more time with people who matter. Gives you a lovely family, Christmas portrait on the last page.

IN SUMMARY:

I enjoy how Joshua doesn't push his religious beliefs. I am a Christian, but I still don't like to be preached to. I did enjoy all the great quotes throughout, especially the one by Spurgeon. My dad loves Charles Spurgeon!

If you can't tell, I thoroughly loved this book. I have read a great deal of books on minimalism, but nobody sums it up and packages this kind of life like Joshua does here. Definitely worth having in your Kindle library. I have reaped plenty from having less: mobility, time (to enjoy life), more savings, focus --> a satisfying career, stronger relationships, a greener lifestyle... The list goes on, and it will for you, too.

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5.0 von 5 SternenGreat blogger produces great book!12. November 2011

Von Sarah Mollie - Veröffentlicht auf Amazon.com

Format:Kindle Edition|Verifizierter Kauf

I've been reading through becomingminimalist.com for months now and I've gone through all the archives. Joshua Becker is a talented writer who is also a real human being living in the real world. He doesn't make the reader feel guilty or shamed for their stuff, he just tells you how he escaped from the cycle of buying, cleaning, storing, fixing and moving the same types of clutter most of us struggle with. Becker won't tell you to own only what fits in a back pack, unless that's what you really WANT to do. Becker tells you how to be a minimalist while at the same time not making your family worry that you're giving everything away and contemplating running off to join a monastery.

Also, this is my very first ebook purchase and it's pretty great - reading on my Android.

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1.0 von 5 SternenIt was all on his website, nothing new8. Februar 2013

Von jesusislife - Veröffentlicht auf Amazon.com

Format:Kindle Edition

I was very disappointed with this Ebook. It was pretty much everything I had already read on his website. Hadn't read reviews before I bought it. Will be sure to read reviews next time I am interested in an Ebook. So just scour his website for free, save your money

This..."book"...is little more than a pamphlet if it were printed out. I didn't realize it at the time, but I was sucked in by a blogger's quickie attempt at a "book." These are all the rage these days with bloggers. I've since visited his blog and the "author" is quite enamored with having a "#1 Bestseller!" Well, of course, you offer a nice cover with a nice topic at a nice price and people will buy ebooks. But, this is the new thing for bloggers; get your blog popular enough and then "write a book" (meaning an ebook) and listen to the cash register ring!

Bottom line: This is an amateurish attempt at writing about a serious subject that could have deep philosophical analysis and a plan of action that would seriously allow one to simplify their life. This has a few good common sense platitudes, an anecdote here and there...this isn't a 'real' book. I wish Amazon had a separate section for blogger wanna-be authors to peddle their wares. No more blogger quickies for me. I'll pay closer attention next time.